Splice-bar.



No. 889,840. PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908. D. AMBROSE. SPLICE'BAR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 31,1907.

@Xhtmmno mmw DAVIS AMBROSE, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

SPLICE-BAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1908.

Application filed July 31, 1907'. Serial No. 386,419.

T 0 all whom itma'y concern.

Be it known that I, DAVIS AMBROSE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Louisville, in the county of J efler son and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Splice- Bars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved splice bar for connecting the ends of railroad rails to secure the same together and support them so that the rail ends will not be liable to be depressed by the weight of passing trains,

. and the said invention consists in the condevices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rail joint in which my improved splice bar is employed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same on the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 1 and between the meeting ends of the rails. Fig. 4 is a similar view on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the same, one ofthe rails being shown in transverse section.

My improved splice bar 1 is made of iron, steel or other material, and is formed on its upper side with flanges 2 to bear against opposite sides of the webs or shanks of the rails and to also bear on the'base flanges of the rails, said splice bar being recessed longitudinally in its upper side to form a chamber 3 for the reception of the bases of the rail ends and also for the reception of a key 4. The bottom of the said chamber 3 is inclined longitudinally so that said chamber is deeper at one end than at the other. Those portions 5 of the flanges 2 which overhang the base flanges of the rails are provided on their undersides with teeth or serrations 6 which bite into the upper surfaces of the rail base flanges and more effectually secure the rails to the splice bar. The vertical portions of the flanges2 of the splice bar are provided with openings 7 for the reception of bolts 8 which extend through the webs of the rails and secure the ends of the rails in the recessed upper portion of the splice bar. The said openings 7 are elongated somewhat to permit movement of the bolts with the rails when the latter contract and expand by variations of temperature.

The splice bar is provided with base flanges 9 at its sides to bear on a tie or ties and is provided at one end with oppositely extending lugs 10. A closure plate 11 is secured on the said end of the splice bar, to close the deeper end of the chamber 3, by means of bolts 12 which are placed in registering openings in the lugs 10 and in the ends of said closure plate. Springs 13, of which a suitable number may be employed, two being here shown, and which are coiled extensile springs, are placed in the deeper end of the chamber 3 to bear between the closure plate and the thicker end of the wedge-shaped key 4 and serve to wedge such key between the inclined bottom of such chamber 3 and the lower sides of the rails so that the said wedge-shaped key supports the meeting ends of the rails, and at each movement of the rails occasioned by the stress of passing trains which admits of movement of the wedge-shaped key the springs 13 which are under tension move such key so that the latter is kept constantly tightened between the bottoms of the rails and the bottom of the chamber in the splice bar, and the rail ends are hence effectually prevented from becoming depressed. The said key is provided on its underside with transversely disposed serrations 14 to bite into the surface formed by the bottom of the chamber 3.

It will be understood that my improved splice bar forms a reinforce at the meeting ends of the rails and serves to convey stress from one rail to the other to distribute it between them and hence cause each rail to in effect brace and sustain the other.

Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed as new, is

1. A splice bar having alongitudinal chamber in its upper side for the. reception of the bases of rails and providing overhanging flanges to bear on the-rail base flanges, the bottom of said chamber being inclined longi tudinally, a closure at 'one end of the chamber, a wedge key in such chamber supported on the bottom thereof and bearing directly under the bottoms-of the rails and a spring bearing between the said closure and one end of the wedge key.

2. A splice barhaving alongitudinal chamber in its upper side for the reception of the bases of rails and providing overhanging flanges to bear on the rail base flanges, the bottom of said chamber being inclined longitudinally, a removable closure at one end of the chamber, a wedge key in said chamber supported on the bottom thereof and bearing directly under the bottoms of the rails, and a spring bearing between the said closure and one end of the wedge key.

3. A splice bar having a longitudinal chamber in its upper side for the reception of the bases of rails and providing overhanging flanges to bear on the rail base flanges the bottom of said chamber being inclined longitudinally, a closure at one end of the chamher, a wedge key in such chamber supported on the bottom thereof and bearing directly under the bottoms of the rails and a spring bearing between the said closure and one end of the wedge key, said wedge key having serrations on its lower side to bite into the surface formed by the inclined bottom of the 15 chamber.

In testimony whereof I a'ffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVIS AMBROSE. Witnesses:

ANTON KUTZLEB, C. S. MUELLER. 

